


At first we were eager

by BehindBrokenWindows



Series: The acts of a Gentleman [1]
Category: Black Sails
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Arousal, Awkward Sexual Situations, Bottom James, Caning, Canon Gay Character, Caring, Explicit Sexual Content, First Time, Gay Sex, Homophobia, James is 15, James is pretty, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, Period-Typical Homophobia, Punishment, Sexual Tension, Smut, royal navy - Freeform, sodomy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-25
Updated: 2017-05-05
Packaged: 2018-10-23 20:53:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10727028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BehindBrokenWindows/pseuds/BehindBrokenWindows
Summary: James McGraw's first voyage with the Royal Navy teaches his more than how to tie a knot, and he learns that not all the men are as true to the rules as they pretend to be. It has its benefits.





	1. The darkness keeps secrets

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first time I've written something like this, thank you for giving it a try anyway.

“What are you doing here, boy?” James’ head whipped around at the sound of the voice and he quickly got up from his kneeling position beside one of the cannons.

“I was just – just…” James cleared his throat, took a deep breath, and forced his shoulders to relax. “I was just fastening this cannon, sir. I was told to make sure everything was in order, should the wind pick up. This knot here wasn’t tied right, I needed to fix it, sir.”

“Your shift has already ended, you should be sleeping below deck with the others.” The man was closing on him now, and as the light fell over his face, James caught sight of his expression. There was something there he did not trust.

“It has been a busy day. The captain fears a storm, and this was the last I was set to do, I could not leave simply because my shift was over.” The man nodded and James breathed more easily as a flash of approval crossed his face.

“You’re that… McGraw boy, aren’t you? Landsman, I believe.” James nodded. “That’s right, I’ve seen you on deck. The orange-haired one, who always stares so long at the bosun.” James stiffened. He did stare at the bosun, but he had been very discreet about it. Who could blame him if they knew the size of the bosun’s arms, or the way his light brown curls always framed his face and tickled around his eyes? The bosun was a very attractive man, though James would never admit it aloud. He wasn’t about to get himself flogged. Or worse.

“I… don’t know what you mean, sir.” He shifted on his feet and he knew it was a mistake.

“Do you know who I am?”

“You’re Lieutenant Dalton,” James said with a nod.

“Good, then you’ll know to keep your mouth shut.” The man was now right in front of James, and James couldn’t help but wet his lips in a nervous gesture. The man smiled.

“What do you want from me?”

“I just need you to turn around and put yourself over that canon there, and not say a thing, are we clear?” Lieutenant Dalton’s voice was a low rumble, and James didn’t deny that even though he couldn’t compare with the bosun, the Lieutenant wasn’t bad to look at either. But James had never done this before. In fact, until this very voyage, he had doubted his sexual desires were existent at all – until he watched the men undress in the crew’s quarters as if no one was looking. His eyes lingered on a particularly nice pair of perky nipples, and someone’s strong thighs as the man stepped out of his breeches, and not to mention the rippling abdominal muscles. James had understood, and he had been ashamed – he still was – but he knew that as long as he did his business in silence and under cover, no one would ever know. Until now.

“Why would I do that?” His voice wasn’t defiant, but he wanted to make sure what exactly the man meant. He could allow no misunderstandings.

“Because we’ve been at sea for weeks now. Do as I say, that’s an order.” When James still didn’t move, the man grabbed the back of his neck and forced him to his knees. “Over the canon young man, nice and slow – I won’t hurt you.” James did as he said, and felt a sudden surge of thrill through his body. It was utterly filthy, of course. These kind of things weren’t supposed to happen in the Navy, not even quick encounters with hands was accepted here, not between the men.

However, James had fantasised about accidently meeting the bosun in this very place, bumping into him, being lifted off the floor…

There were hands on his arse. Slowly they slid around and undid the fastenings of his breeches and James’ breath hitched in his throat. James shifted a bit over the canon so the metal didn’t sting so hard into his ribs, and felt cool air on his bare buttocks. For a second the hands rested there on his skin, and he could imagine soft caresses, could feel the drag of the man’s callused palms if he would just move then, stroke him and squeeze... but the man did no such thing. James swallowed thickly and put his head on his arms that were braced uncomfortably against the hard metal of the canon.

There was a rustle of clothing and suddenly James’ crack was dripping with oil. It was cool, but pleasant on his skin. The thumb that soon started spreading the oil over him was rough and insistent, but stayed away from direct contact with his entrance. James’ breaths became quicker and shorter and he hadn’t even been touched yet. Maybe it should have been embarrassing, here on his knees in front of one of the ships most important officers, but he felt only exhilarated. Even the chance of being found out made the blood rush teasingly inside him, and just the thought of it made his cock twitch. He couldn’t stop himself from grinning stupidly, bare-arsed and bent over a canon as he was. He shifted and arched his back in an attempt to present his arse more openly towards the man behind him.

Then a finger entered him and a groan spilled over his lips before he could clamp his mouth shut and he sagged against the canon, arse firmly in the air.

“I’m sorry it hurts a bit in the beginning, you’ll feel it tomorrow I’m afraid.” Hurt? James thought. The man must’ve mistook his pleasure for pain. Yes, the feeling was new and slightly uncomfortable, but it didn’t hurt, and once James had a finger inside him, he could freely imagine the stretch he would feel once there was more. The finger moved and a delicious tremble went through him.

A second finger joined the first and together they drilled quickly in and out of his body. James moaned for real this time, arched his back, and shoved back on the fingers in his excitement.

“Stay still, damn you!” the Lieutenant said and withdrew his fingers. James barely managed to bite down on his lip to stifle the embarrassing whine that threatened to escape his lips at the loss of contact.

The man came back with three fingers and this time James groaned in pain and gripped the cold metal beneath his hands and the fingers worked him open relentlessly. But it wasn’t enough, the fingers weren’t long enough, didn’t reach inside him… James huffed with want and started rocking again, just small, quick movements against the man’s fingers.

The fingers retreated again and James was breathing hard, leaning all his weight against the canon. His cock was throbbing between his legs, poking not so delicately out from his breeches than were still around his thigs.

There was more rustling and James figured the man made himself ready. In the meantime, he put his own hand on his cock and worked himself teasingly. What he’d do to let the other man do this, to feel his hand on his cock, to fuck into the ring of the other’s fist.

The slick head of Dalton’s cock pushed against his entrance teasingly and James’ muscles flexed in fear for a second. It would be much tighter than his fingers had been.

Dalton yanked at his hair and pushed inside in one swift motion. James let his head be pulled back and groaned deeply from the very back of his throat, feeling the noise dragged out of him against his will. The stretch was horribly uncomfortable, it felt wrong and yet – James moaned again as Dalton bottomed out and suddenly his thighs began to tremble and sweat broke out on his temples.

“Does it hurt too much?”

“No –” James gasped. “No – God, please continue.” Dalton grunted and withdrew, then drilled into him again with a yank at his hair. James screamed this time as Dalton hit just right.

“Will you shut up? Someone will hear you!” James clamped his mouth closed with effort and closed his eyes. Dalton’s hand had left his hair and was grabbing his hips in a bruising clutch, pulling him backwards every time he fucked into him. James could hear the other’s breaths coming in shorter gasps and it did surprising things to him. He started pushing back on his own accord, meeting every thrust and rolling his hips, grinding against the man behind him in a desperate attempt to get more.

“Yes!” he breathed once as the man hit the spot again. His hand went to his own cock and he started stroking himself furiously, basking in the feeling of another man inside him at last. “Oh – yes! Harder, please!” he moaned, and he didn’t care if he was pleading.

“What the fuck are you doing?” the Lieutenant growled and grabbed his arm. “You sound like a fucking whore!” James stiffened and turned to look at the man behind him. He knew how he must’ve looked – sex-flushed cheeks, blazing eyes, mouth half open, and for some reason the man looked angry. He grabbed violently on James’ hair and pushed his head down, pounding into him with new force until James couldn’t hold back the whimpers of both pain and pleasure and he was rocked into the canon with much more force than before. Arousal was building in him but he didn’t dare place his hand back on his cock. He felt precum spill out of him but then the Lieutenant came into him with two last, deep fucks and withdrew before James reached his climax. James was left throbbing and confused, cock straining helplessly, begging for attention. For a moment he let himself sag against the canon, desperately trying to control his breathing.

“You were fucking enjoying yourself!” the man growled as he put himself back in his trousers. “Fucking yourself on me like a whore, you were!” James had turned by now, slumped against the canon still with a slightly dazed look on his face. “That’s disgusting.”

James frowned. “You just came inside me, obviously you enjoyed yourself too.” He couldn’t fathom what was the problem, but he wanted it resolved very quickly so he could bring himself off.

“You look enough like a girl on your knees like that, long hair and all. But you… real men would never – you’re a fucking sodomite!” All the air left James and he felt like he’d been punched. He’d been entirely mistaken. This man wasn’t like him, he was just desperate enough to take whatever was pretty and unimportant enough to keep his mouth closed. Shit.

“I’m not!” James whined desperately. The Lieutenant regarded him for a moment, now fully clothed and looking relatively un-fucked. James’ cock was still spilling from his breeches, still throbbing with need and his hair was loose form its tie, framing his face. His arousal was so obvious, but it was too late to do anything about it now.

“You’ll have to get the cane,” the man suddenly realised. “I can’t tell them what happened but… I’ll figure something out, it’s easy enough. Say you were being disrespectful, that’ll earn you some blows at least.” He was pensive now, and James felt himself turn cold with dread.

“You can’t just do that! I’ll tell them what you did and they’ll punish you, not me!” he growled. Everyone would know, the caning happened on deck. The Lieutenant just laughed at him.

“I have a wife and two sons, boy. Who do you think they’ll believe? It should all be in order by tomorrow before noon. I won’t tell them your secret, I’m sure it can be beaten out of you. If you want I can do it myself, though I admit I find the task quite grizzly. I won’t let you hang for this though, just a misperception, is all, have no fear.” The Lieutenant stood and ruffled James’ hair then strode off the gundeck.

James brought himself off in a minute, thinking of the way the Lieutenant had drilled inside him and pulled his hair, then he tucked himself back in his breeched and strode to the crew’s quarters.

Once he reached his hammock he wasn’t sure if he wanted most to cry or throw things. As he didn’t have anything to throw, he cried as silently as he could into his blanket, flushed with shame but unable to stop himself.


	2. The Morning Brings Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James gets his punishment and something he was not expecting.

"All hands on deck to witness punishment!" James felt a chill down his back that had nothing to do with the rain that was coming down over them all. He'd been informed by Lieutenant Dalton earlier that his punishment was to be held at noon - the end of his shift the morning after what had happened between them - and would follow tradition to the letter.

The captain was present, scrutinizing James openly with his arms crossed over his chest.

The deck soon filled up with men and James was standing in the middle of it, the object of everyone's attention. He was standing with his arms behind his back, trying to seem unfazed by the attention even though he had trouble keeping his knees from trembling. 

The captain told everyone his crime, refusing a direct order - something or other, but James barely heard him through the drumming of blood in his ears. He'd caught sight of Lieutenant Dalton, who'd been smiling good-naturedly at him, as if he was doing him some favour, and despite himself he felt his cock stir in his pants at the mere memory of last night. Bile rose in his throat.

The captain finished his speech and stepped back. The bosun took his place, a cane in his capable hands. James stiffened and felt heat rise to his face, curl in his belly. Of all the men capable of dealing out punishment, it had to be the bosun - the one man James couldn't keep his eyes off no matter how hard he tried.

Someone snorted, and James saw the bosun level his eyes at them, warning them to shut up. The man came to stand beside James, and put a heavy hand on his shoulder. Looking up at him, James saw only reassurance in a pair of kind, brown eyes.

"Get down on your knees please," he whispered apologetically. James swallowed hard and did as he was told. "Bring your breeches down past your knees, and put yourself over the vaulting horse." His voice was a kind rumble in James' ear and he was infinitely happy the vaulting horse was mostly obscuring everyone's view of his front as he laced open his breeches and pushed them down.

Cold, wet rain hit him immediately, but the shock of being exposed in such a way in front of the crew entire, was much worse and his face lit up with shame until it had a colour resembling his hair. In a desperate attempt to keep some of his dignity, he looked up defiantly. The moment he met someone’s smirking eyes, his gaze dropped to the deck in front of him.

The bosun got down on one knee beside him and put a hand on his shoulder again, pressing his upper body down over the vaulting horse. "Will you let me tie your hands?" James only regarded him with confusion, too overwhelmed to consider details. "In case you try to stop my blows - I might crush you hand if I hit you. Please?" James nodded and let out a shuddering breath. The bosun tied his hands in front of him with careful precision, but not so hard it hurt, and leaned in to James' ear again. "If you need me to stop, fold your left hand over your right one, alright?" Then he drew back and took his place.

James wasn't prepared as the first blow landed across his buttocks and an embarrassing yelp escaped him. People laughed and he felt his blood boil. 

“Oy! Louder, will you? I don’t think Henny heard you atop the main mast!” James’ face burned again and he screwed his eyes shut and tried to ignore them as more men sniggered at the comment. Luckily, when the next blow came he successfully kept silent, grinding his teeth together. The bosun was strong, but James suspected he held back considerably. He didn’t want to imagine what this would feel like, should he use all his power.

However, it wasn’t the sting that frightened him, rather the knowledge that they would all know him now, talk about him and mock him. He wouldn’t be able to look his friend Benny in the eyes again, for he would be laughing with the others.

A third blow struck and James squeezed his eyes shut, trying without success to hide his face between his arms. Then three rapid blows came in a row, much harder than the ones before and cutting over the older blows until a whimper was wrung past James’ lips.

The rain was falling more heavily now, whipping at his skin, cooling it after every blow until every drop became mean whip against him.

Trying to redirect his attention, the image of the bosun’s handsome face floated in front of his inner eye. The bosun’s next blow struck where his thighs met his buttocks and brushed his balls, making James heave frantically for breath.

He heard the bosun breathing hard behind him, then he hit his thighs again and to his utter mortification it was a strained moan that escaped James’ lips. He sobbed, once, at the next blow, and felt the heavy weight of his erection bob against the hem of his shirt. This time James froze completely at the realisation and the possible consequences. If anyone were to notice – James heaved for breath, but his body started to shake anyway, his mind swam and his skin prickled with fear.

The next blow fell and left James open-mouthed with the image of the bosun’s eyes in his mind. He wrung his hands together and tried to force the images away without success.

When there was no next blow, James forced himself to look over his shoulder at the bosun, who was staring pointedly at his hands. Slowly, full of regret, James pulled them from each other. It would not do to give up now, he could not damage his pride so permanently. He breathed, and readied himself again.

The next blows left him dizzy, sagging against the vaulting horse, sucking uncooperative air into his lungs. By now his entire backside was throbbing relentlessly and despite the pain, with every new blow dealt by the bosun, he had to hold back moans of pleasure. The rain was more of a relief that a nuisance now, cooling his skin, trailing between his butt cheeks, teasing… His throbbing cock made its presence known again, refusing to be ignored, refusing to stand down.

Again, there was a pause, and suddenly James noticed how his shirt and sunk down and covered his backside. His head whipped up at the captain’s cry.

"Bare your arse, McGraw! Or are you too delicate to continue?" Mocking laughter filled the air around him, but it was the silent implication in the captain’s choice of expression that made James’ breath hitch in his throat. He'd said delicate. How much did he know? Had the Lieutenant told him what had really happened - did he know about James' preferences? James was filled with dread, feeling for the first time cold to the bone as he imagined the noose.

"James," the bosun whisper-called when he still hadn't moved. Then he seemed to remember than James was tied and could in fact do nothing, so he took the task upon himself.

No, James thought. Oh god, please no!

But the bosun's warm hands landed on his buttocks, stroking over the red marks he had placed there. James’ thighs trembled and he sighed appreciatively, feeling some of the tension leave his body from the warm, soothing touch. The bosun pushed James' shirt to the middle of his back with a soft caress that was so much more intimate than any of the Lieutenant’s touches had been the day before. It set fire to his skin, a fire that spread through his body and settled deep in his stomach, making his heavy cock bob and leak as the material of his shirt slid over him until it barely covered the tip. James' breath hitched in his throat and he prayed to God he would not spill free, that no one would see how affected he was.

"It's soon over, you're doing very well," the bosun whispered into his ear and the warm feeling got stronger until James felt his balls tightened threateningly. The next blow landed within a few seconds and his eyes slipped shut just as his mouth opened to allow passage to a moan. Finally the first tears spilled from his eyes, tears of shame, of humiliation, of disgust at his own weakness.

A series of blows followed and James forgot all about the world around him. He'd promised himself he wouldn't scream, but when three blows hit the same spot in a row he was pushed violently against the vaulting horse and the rough wood scratched and ripped at his cock. He yelled in pain but it ended in a moan as another blow brought him flush with the wood and gave friction to his aching member.

He couldn't control his actions any longer. His thighs were trembling, his body shaking, and he was sobbing into the crook of his elbow with every delicious spark of pain.

The bosun hit him five more times, and this time he slumped uselessly against the vaulting horse, limp, breathless.

"Hey," the bosun whispered and untied his hands. "Open your eyes, please?" A hand tipped James' chin up and he opened his teary eyes to see the bosun's gentle face peering down at him. The rain had tamed his curls, making them lay obediently along his face. "Lift your knees for me, please," he asked, and grabbed James' breeches to pull them over his behind. James panicked and brushed the bosun's hands away, doing up the laces swiftly, but letting his shirt stay out for now, as it was long enough to cover his front.

He tried to stand up, but his knees wouldn’t cooperate. The bosun put an arm around him and James, in his dazed state, let himself lean completely on the other man as he helped him off the deck and into the belly of the ship, despite how it might be perceived by the others, despite how weak he might seem. 

James only realised where they were going when they were standing outside the doctor's quarters. The bosun knocked and they were ushered inside. The doctor took one look at them, rolled his eyes, and left the room.

Once they were alone, James became acutely aware of the way the bosun's body was pressed into his entire left side, and he could feel the hard ridges of his muscles through their clothing. An overwhelming smell of salt and sweat enveloped his senses and James leaned instinctively towards the bosun's delicate neck until the man's light curls brushed against his face. He sighed contentedly and thought he might stay there forever, in the man's warm embrace.

"Hey, are you alright? Here, lie down on that cot and let's get you salved up, shall we?" Still dazed, James limped to the cot and groaned as he sat down. The bosun laughed at him. "Just lie down on your stomach, silly! That way it won't hurt." James blushed at his words and his own stupidity and laid down on his stomach like an obedient lamb, smiling into it with no reason.

"I'm sorry I had to do that," the bosun said silently as if not to spook him, then sat down beside him. "Here, lift your hips for me." The bosun untied James' breeches, brushing over his erection through the clothing, and pulled them past his knees again. James had to muffle a moan. 

His cock was begging for attention, but there was nothing James could do that wouldn't be thoroughly embarrassing. "Oh - wow I... I'm so sorry, it's a lot worse than I thought it would be!" the bosun exclaimed and brushed one big hand along James' left buttocks and thigh. He almost moaned aloud at the sensation, hips twitching as if to fuck against the cot beneath him. It took considerable effort to keep still, but he couldn't stop his breathing from becoming laboured, or his heart from beating harder.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," James choked out, not wanting to lose face in front of this man, though that was far too late.

"I hate dealing out punishment, you know," the bosun told him as he smeared some thick cream over his thighs, pressing his hand between them, nudging them apart. "Can't stand it. It was lieutenant Dalton that claimed your disobedience, was it not?" James nodded and felt his body relax into the soft brush of the man's hand on him. He was now smearing the cream on James’ buttocks, massaging the tortured muscle. "I can't believe him," the bosun sneered. "I've seen you on deck, you're not easy to miss with that hair of yours, and you always do as you're told to the letter – and more if you can. It's been a long while since I've seen someone so eager, I can't imagine you refusing to take any order." His hand moved over James’ cleft and started working on the other side. The salve was soothing, but it was the bosun’s touch that made James let go completely, basking shamefully in the feeling, and muffling his contented sighs into his own hand.

The bosun stayed silent from then on, simply massaging the cream into James' skin and even though it hurt more than he was willing to admit, there was incredible pleasure in it. James turned his head and looked at the bosun as he worked. He didn't have the presence of mind to care that he was staring. The man was so beautiful. His jaw was strong and clean-shaven, his eyes were kind and warm and despite having him caned in front of the entire crew, he had been nothing but considerate with James. He couldn't possibly be expected not to stare, and for one delirious moment he compared the bosun to an angel, taking care of him like no man had ever done before.

"There you go. You won't scar, luckily. That skin of yours is much too pretty – it would be a shame to mark it." James hummed in appreciation and rolled his hips into the cot before he could stop himself. The friction was wonderful and he could barely contain himself, but the bosun pulled his breeches back up and helped James into a standing position so he could stuff his shirt inside and lace them up, then he put an arm around James' waist, and even though James would have been perfectly fine on his own, he leaned against the bosun's broad side and let himself be escorted to the hammocks. He laid down and the bosun kneeled in front of him.

"You'll be fine in a bit, but you should avoid sitting as much as possible, though I admit I can't imagine you sitting much around with all that energy of yours anyway. Take care of yourself, and make sure this doesn't have to repeat itself, yeah?" The bosun brushed James' hair away from his face and James beamed. All he could see was brown eyes and in them he found such admiration and appreciation that he might think… The bosun’s actions surely had been suggestive, if he simply let himself believe that it could be possible, but – 

He started leaning in ever so slowly, but then the man stood up, smiled fondly at him, and left him in his hammock to take care of his throbbing erection on his own. 

Of course he hadn’t been suggesting – James cursed at himself for ever letting himself hope. The bosun was simply a very kind man, one of the few who didn’t think violence a good punishment, and he acted in the place of an older brother, that was all. 

James turned to his side and could finally slip a hand into his trousers, grabbing his throbbing erection. He moaned into his own hand at the relief, and thought of the bosun’s eyes and his gentle touches along James’ more intimate parts as he worked himself to completion.

**Author's Note:**

> Not at all sure how that went - feedback would be greatly appreciated!
> 
> If you have any good counsil on how I can make this better or write better smut in the future, I'm all ears!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading my feeble attempt at smut :)


End file.
